Gaza's Historic Turkish Bath Still Entices Tourists
Gaza's 1,000-year-old hammam, or Turkish bath, is a rare, relaxing luxury in a territory besieged by conflict, writes Abeer Ayyoub.
Between the crowded alleyways of the Old City of Gaza, one of the oldest Turkish baths, and the only one still existing in the city, is located. Hammam al-Sammara, which is estimated to be over 1,000 years old, is still receiving local and foreign guests despite repeated conflicts in the area.
In typical oriental style, the 500 square-meters (1,800 square feet) bath has a domed roof with small holes that allow sunlight to enter. The hammam is divided into a large steam room with many faucets and metal dishes for pouring, a small, deep hot pool, and a smaller space for relaxing and olive-oil massage. An open setting with oriental furniture is only used by men.
The bath opens daily from 5 a.m. until midnight, with rotating time slots for women and men, except for Fridays which are for men only.
Far away from the prying eyes of a very-conservative society, dozens of Gaza women of different ages and neighborhoods rush to their three-hour shift to get a relaxing treat — with no dress-code restrictions.
